Website Down But Domain Resolves: Troubleshooting (2025)

Quick Answer

Table of Contents

Understanding the Problem

When someone says "website is down," there are actually two different systems that could be failing:

DNS (Domain Name System)

What it does: Translates your domain name to an IP address

When DNS fails: Domain doesn't resolve at all

• Browser error: "Server not found" or "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"
• ping yourdomain.com returns "could not find host"
• DNS lookup tools return no results

Web Server

What it does: Receives HTTP requests and serves your website files

When web server fails: Domain resolves but website won't load

• Browser error: "This site can't be reached," "Connection refused," or "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED"
• ping yourdomain.com works (gets IP address) but website doesn't load
• DNS lookup succeeds but HTTP request fails

Your situation (domain resolves but website down) means: ✅ DNS is working correctly ❌ Web server has a problem

DNS vs Web Server Issues

How to tell which system is failing.

Test: Can You Ping the Domain?

Run this command:

ping yourdomain.com

If ping works (shows IP address and replies):

• DNS is resolving correctly
• Problem is with web server
• This is your situation

If ping fails (can't find host):

• DNS is not resolving
• Problem is DNS-related
• Different troubleshooting needed

Test: Check DNS Resolution

Use nslookup:

nslookup yourdomain.com

If returns IP address:

• DNS working
• Web server problem

If returns error:

• DNS not working
• Fix DNS first

Common Causes

Why domain resolves but website won't load.

1. Web Server Down or Crashed

What happened:

• Apache, Nginx, or IIS stopped running
• Server process crashed
• Server reboot and didn't restart properly
• Out of memory caused crash

Symptoms:

• "Connection refused" error
• "Unable to connect"
• Site was working, suddenly stopped

2. Hosting Account Suspended

What happened:

• Billing past due
• Terms of service violation
• Resource limits exceeded
• Account manually suspended

Symptoms:

• "Account suspended" page
• Generic hosting provider page
• Error message about suspension

3. Server Resource Issues

What happened:

• Server out of memory (RAM full)
• CPU maxed out (100% usage)
• Disk space full
• Too many connections

Symptoms:

• Site intermittently down
• Very slow loading, then timeout
• Works sometimes, fails other times
• Error 503 "Service Unavailable"

4. Firewall Blocking Traffic

What happened:

• Firewall rule blocking HTTP/HTTPS
• IP address blacklisted
• DDoS protection too aggressive
• Server security software blocking connections

Symptoms:

• Connection timeout
• "Connection refused"
• Works from some networks, not others

5. Port Not Open/Listening

What happened:

• Web server not listening on port 80 (HTTP) or 443 (HTTPS)
• Port closed in firewall
• Service bound to wrong port

Symptoms:

• Connection refused immediately
• Can ping but can't browse

6. Virtual Host Misconfiguration

What happened:

• Virtual host not configured for your domain
• Wrong document root
• Server doesn't recognize your domain
• Configuration file has errors

Symptoms:

• Wrong website appears
• Default web server page
• "Site not configured" error

7. SSL Certificate Problems

What happened:

• SSL certificate expired
• Certificate not installed properly
• Mixed HTTP/HTTPS configuration
• HTTPS redirect broken

Symptoms:

• "Your connection is not private"
• "NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID"
• HTTP works but HTTPS doesn't

8. Application/Code Error

What happened:

• PHP, Python, Node.js application crashed
• Database connection failed
• Critical code error
• .htaccess misconfiguration

Symptoms:

• Error 500 "Internal Server Error"
• White screen (PHP error)
• Application-specific error page

Quick Diagnostic Tests

Identify the specific problem.

Test 1: Ping the Domain

ping yourdomain.com

Success: Shows IP, receives replies → DNS works, web server down Failure: Can't resolve host → DNS problem (different issue)

Test 2: Check Port 80 (HTTP)

Telnet to port 80:

telnet yourdomain.com 80

Success: Connects → Web server listening, might be configuration issue Failure: Connection refused → Web server not running or port blocked

Test 3: Check Port 443 (HTTPS)

telnet yourdomain.com 443

Success: Connects → HTTPS server listening Failure: Connection refused → HTTPS not configured or blocked

Test 4: Try Direct IP Access

In browser, visit:

http://[your-server-IP]

Website appears: Virtual host issue (server doesn't recognize your domain) Still doesn't work: Web server is down

Test 5: Check from Different Network

• Try mobile data (not WiFi)
• Use a VPN
• Ask someone elsewhere to test

Works from other networks: Your network/ISP blocking Fails everywhere: Server-side issue

Test 6: Check Service Status

For shared hosting:

• Visit hosting provider's status page
• Check Twitter for outage reports
• Look at DownDetector.com

Hosting-Level Issues

Problems at the hosting account level.

Suspended Hosting Account

Check:

1. Log into hosting control panel
2. Look for suspension notice
3. Check billing status
4. Review account emails

Fix:

1. Pay outstanding invoices
2. Resolve policy violations
3. Contact support for details
4. Request reactivation

Resource Limits Exceeded

Check in cPanel or hosting panel:

• CPU usage
• Memory usage
• Bandwidth used
• Inodes (file count)
• Concurrent connections

Fix:

• Upgrade hosting plan
• Optimize website (caching, CDN)
• Reduce resource usage
• Remove unused files/plugins

Hosting Server Outage

Check:

• Hosting provider status page
• Support announcements
• Server IP status

Fix:

• Wait for host to restore service
• Monitor status updates
• Contact support for ETA

Server-Level Issues

Problems with the actual web server software.

Web Server Not Running

Check if Apache is running (Linux):

sudo systemctl status apache2
# or
sudo systemctl status httpd

Check if Nginx is running:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Restart web server:

sudo systemctl restart apache2
# or
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Web Server Configuration Error

Test configuration (Apache):

sudo apache2ctl configtest
# or
sudo apachectl configtest

Test configuration (Nginx):

sudo nginx -t

If errors: Fix configuration file, then restart server

Wrong Ports Configured

Check what ports Apache is listening on:

sudo netstat -tlnp | grep apache
# or
sudo ss -tlnp | grep apache

Should show:

*:80   (HTTP)
*:443  (HTTPS)

Fix: Edit configuration to listen on correct ports

Configuration Issues

Fixing virtual host and application config.

Virtual Host Not Configured

Apache: Check virtual host file

Location:

• /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.conf (Debian/Ubuntu)
• /etc/httpd/conf.d/yourdomain.conf (RHEL/CentOS)

Required settings:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/yourdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

Enable virtual host (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo a2ensite yourdomain.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Document Root Incorrect

Check: Does DocumentRoot path exist?

ls -la /var/www/yourdomain.com

Should contain: index.html, index.php, or website files

If empty or missing: Upload website files to correct location

.htaccess Errors

Rename .htaccess temporarily:

mv .htaccess .htaccess.bak

Test site: If works now, .htaccess had error

Fix: Edit .htaccess, fix syntax errors

How to Fix Common Problems

Step-by-step solutions.

Fix: Restart Web Server

For shared hosting:

1. Log into cPanel
2. Restart Apache/LiteSpeed (if option available)
3. Or contact support to restart

For VPS/Dedicated:

sudo systemctl restart apache2
# or
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Fix: Check Firewall Rules

Allow HTTP and HTTPS:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw reload

For firewalld:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Fix: Restore SSL Certificate

For Let's Encrypt:

sudo certbot renew
sudo systemctl reload apache2

For other certificates:

• Re-upload certificate files
• Update virtual host SSL configuration
• Restart web server

Fix: Clear Application Cache

WordPress:

• Disable caching plugins temporarily
• Delete cache folder
• Clear object cache

Other CMSs:

• Clear application cache
• Disable buggy plugins/modules
• Check error logs

When to Contact Support

Some situations require professional help.

Contact Hosting Support If:

• Shared hosting and you can't access server
• Account shows as suspended
• Server status shows outage
• Resource limits unclear
• Can't access control panel

Contact System Administrator If:

• VPS/Dedicated server
• Root access available but unsure how to fix
• Complex server configuration
• Security concern

Provide This Information:

• Domain name
• Exact error message
• Screenshot of error
• What you've already tried
• When problem started
• Recent changes made

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does ping work but my website doesn't load?

Ping uses ICMP protocol to test network connectivity and DNS resolution. Your website uses HTTP/HTTPS protocol on ports 80/443. Successful ping means DNS resolves and the server is online, but the web server software (Apache, Nginx, IIS) isn't running or isn't configured properly. These are separate services—network connectivity doesn't guarantee web server functionality.

My website shows "connection refused." What does that mean?

"Connection refused" means your browser successfully found the server's IP address (DNS works) but the server actively refused the HTTP connection. This typically means: (1) web server software isn't running, (2) firewall is blocking the port, (3) server isn't listening on port 80/443, or (4) too many connections exceeded server limit. Less commonly, your IP address might be blocked by server security software.

The website works when I access the IP directly but not with the domain. Why?

This indicates a virtual host configuration issue. When you access by IP, the server shows its default website. When you use your domain, the server doesn't recognize it or doesn't have a virtual host configured for it. Check your web server's virtual host configuration to ensure it includes ServerName directive with your domain. Also verify DNS is pointing to the correct IP address.

Can DNS issues cause the website to be down even though domain resolves?

Not typically. If DNS resolves correctly (ping returns IP address, nslookup shows correct IP), then DNS is working. Website loading failure despite successful DNS resolution is a web server, hosting, or configuration problem—not DNS. However, if DNS points to the wrong IP address (old server), you'd connect to a server that doesn't have your site.

Why does my website work sometimes but not others?

Intermittent failures suggest server resource problems (CPU/memory maxed out, handling too many requests simultaneously), application errors (database connection pools exhausted), load balancing issues (one server in cluster is down), or DDoS protection being too aggressive. Check server resource usage, application logs, and hosting provider status for clues.

How can I tell if my hosting account is suspended?

Log into your hosting control panel—suspended accounts usually show a prominent banner or prevent login entirely. You'll also receive suspension notification emails from your host. The website itself may display "Account suspended" message or redirect to hosting provider's page. Check billing history for overdue invoices, and review account emails for policy violation warnings.

What's the difference between error 503 and connection refused?

Error 503 "Service Unavailable" means the web server is running but temporarily can't handle requests (usually overloaded, maintenance mode, or application crashed). "Connection refused" means no web server is listening on that port at all—nothing is accepting connections. 503 is often temporary/recoverable, while connection refused requires server restart or configuration fix.

Will restarting the web server cause downtime?

Yes, but usually only seconds. Modern web servers gracefully restart, finishing existing connections before stopping. Downtime is typically 2-10 seconds. If your site is already down, restarting can only help. For high-traffic sites, use reload instead of restart when possible (reload reconfigures without stopping service).

Key Takeaways

• Successful ping confirms DNS works; website failure is a server issue - If domain resolves to IP address but site won't load, the problem is with web server software, hosting, or configuration, not DNS
• "Connection refused" means web server isn't running or port is blocked - Server process needs to be started, firewall rules configured, or service configured to listen on ports 80/443
• Check hosting account status first - Suspended accounts for non-payment or policy violations are common; verify billing is current and no suspension notices exist
• Virtual host misconfiguration shows wrong site or default page - Server doesn't recognize your domain; check virtual host files have correct ServerName directive
• Resource exhaustion causes intermittent failures - Site works sometimes but fails when CPU/memory/connections maxed out; monitor resource usage and upgrade hosting if needed
• Test from different networks to rule out firewall issues - If site works on mobile data but not WiFi, or works elsewhere but not for you, firewall or ISP blocking is likely
• SSL certificate problems affect HTTPS only - HTTP works but HTTPS shows certificate error; check certificate expiration and installation

Next Steps

Now that you understand why your website is down despite DNS working, take these actions:

1. Run Diagnostic Tests: Ping your domain, telnet to ports 80 and 443, and try accessing via IP address to pinpoint whether issue is web server, virtual host, or firewall
2. Check Hosting Account: Log into hosting control panel to verify account isn't suspended, resource limits aren't exceeded, and billing is current
3. Restart Web Server: If you have access (VPS/dedicated) or can request it (shared hosting support), restart the web server software to restore service

Need help diagnosing DNS vs server issues? Use our RDAP Lookup Tool to verify DNS is correctly configured and resolving to the right IP address.

Helpful Tools and Resources

Diagnostic Tools

• Ping - Test basic connectivity and DNS resolution
• Telnet - Check if specific ports are open and listening
• cURL - Test HTTP/HTTPS requests from command line
• Online uptime checkers - Verify site is down globally, not just for you
• Server status pages - Check hosting provider's service status

Server Access Tools

• SSH - Access command line on VPS/dedicated servers
• cPanel/Plesk - Manage shared hosting accounts
• Web server logs - Review error logs for specific failure reasons
• Resource monitors - Check CPU, memory, bandwidth usage

DomainDetails.com Tools

• RDAP Lookup - Verify DNS points to correct IP address
• DNS Health Check - Ensure DNS configuration is correct
• Uptime Monitor - Track when site goes down

Was this article helpful? Let us know if you successfully restored your website or need additional assistance.

For server administration tasks, consult your hosting provider's documentation or contact their support team for platform-specific guidance.